The Chairman of the German Hospital Association (DKG), Gerald Gaß, expects consequences for Germany if Syrian doctors return to their homeland following the power shift in Syria. “We can understand that many of them would like to return home and are urgently needed there,” Gaß told the “Spiegel”.
However, Syrian doctors in Germany, particularly in smaller town hospitals, played a crucial role in maintaining the care provision. “If they were to leave Germany in larger numbers, this would undoubtedly be felt in the staffing level,” Gaß said.
The German Association of Specialist Doctors (SpiFa) also fears the consequences. Germany would need foreign experts. “These experts include people from Syria, who either had a qualification before or acquired one during their stay in Germany,” the SpiFa told the “Spiegel”. These people made a significant contribution to Germany’s healthcare and their departure would certainly have noticeable consequences in the German healthcare system.
According to a statistics report by the Federal Medical Association, 5,758 Syrian doctors were working in Germany at the end of the previous year, with nearly 5,000 in hospitals. This makes them the largest group of foreign doctors.